


close to you

by Lavisyste, TeriTheTacticalUnicorn



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, College, Culture Shock, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Grief/Mourning, Time Travel, also everyone is crying, expect this shit to get sappy and fast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 16:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18996169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavisyste/pseuds/Lavisyste, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeriTheTacticalUnicorn/pseuds/TeriTheTacticalUnicorn
Summary: Elissa Cousland is a twenty-three year old college student trying not to fail her classes. Alistair Theirin is a thirty year old king trying not to fail his kingdom. By a whim of fate, they intersect at two distractly different points in their lives.-----I keep on looking forward, hoping that I'll find you soon enough in time. Together, you and I will always be alive, connected, close to you I'll stay. As long as I can hold your hand again and gain, forever, I will find my way.-----The words echo in his mind. She looked just as beautiful as she did on the day she left him. And maybe by some chance of luck, he'd find his way to her again.





	close to you

She rubbed her eyes as she stared at her laptop. She sighed. She was looking at a barely started essay about the history of Thedas that she needed to turn in to her professor. In three days. Three whole days! And all she had on her word document was two, maybe a portion of a third paragraph. It was all poorly worded to boot, because she had no real idea on how to tackle the subject, and because her professor decided to go on lunch break for the rest of the day, she didn’t get a chance to ask for more information. Not that she’d even _ask_ for more information anyways - she was stupidly stubborn like that.

She’d admit it - essay writing had never been her strong suit, so she slacked off on them. She ignored half of those assignments in high school, and it worked there but _not_ in college. It _hurt_ in college, when every other third assignment was a fourteen page essay or a lengthy research paper. If only she had listened to her high school English teacher, she sighed. Maybe then she wouldn’t be stuck where she was, awake at three in the morning staring at a paper that if not turned in those three days, she was going to fall her history class. And have to take it again. More money down the drain.

Slumping her shoulders, she looked up at her wall clock. A bit uselessly, since it read the same time as her laptop.

Three fifteen.

She groaned, falling back on her bed. She had _really_ spent fifteen whole minutes just staring at her paper like it’d somehow magically get done like that. She was the worst piece of shit dumbass she knew. What did she even expect?

Deciding that she was going to go _nowhere_ , she closed her laptop and saved what little progress she had. It wasn’t like staring at her computer was going to _suddenly_ summon a mage fairy to do her work for her. Maybe it was time to take a break, and get back to it later when she didn’t feel so frustrated. She knew she had very little time left, but it also wasn’t like aimlessly just lying there without doing anything was going to solve anything _anyways._ Taking a break was definitely the best idea, and she was a little hungry.

Maybe she could go buy some food? Walking helped with creative thoughts, right? That’s what the CircleHowTo site she frequented said. They were right, even with their shitty traced artwork.

Yeah. That was a _great_ idea, best idea she had all day, go Elissa!

Elissa Cousland could say she was pretty well-off, disregarding her academic woes. She came from a respected wealthy family who had roots in some of Ferelden oldest and most powerful noble families. Her father was a kindly warm man who was a bit of a joker, which made him favored among his peers, unless drinks were involved. Her mother was a firm and strict woman who lived by the law and her grandmother’s rules. She hadn’t been happy when she found out her two children had inherited their father’s playfulness. Too many expensive vases lying about she said, and too many chances for her and Fergus to break them. They did so anyway. She could still remember her mother’s red face and those two weeks of no dessert or video games. His brother still managed to sneak in chocolate cake from their neighbor’s birthday party.

Speaking of her older brother, she was suddenly reminded that he had been holding out the goods on her! She had asked him a bunch of times to see pictures of her nephew months ago, and he refused! It was such a stupid reason too! He was still butthurt over her winning their last game of Aravel Kart!

Next family reunion, she'd give him what for!

Back to what she needed to do, Elissa decided since it was three in the morning, she didn’t want to get changed. She just put an oversized blue hoodie with her family’s crest on the front - she’d never hear the end of it if she didn’t wear it - and some loose black shorts. Both covered her braless tank top form, and her pink panties, and easy to get out. Slipping into some comfortable worn sneakers, she grabbed her keys and wallet from her dresser.

Passing through her kitchen, she smiled as her eyes caught sight of her Mabari hound, Adarin. Her good old little puppy, though he wasn’t so little anymore. He was fast asleep in his chewed up dog bed, and she knelt down to give him a few gentle pats. He stirred, but stayed asleep. It reminded her that he probably needed food too, didn’t he? He practically tore through the last one; she had come home to his face into the food bag.

With those thoughts in mind, she stepped out into the cold, dark night. She locked her door, and got her bicycle from the hallway storage in her apartment.  A great question was where she was going to go. A lot of stores weren’t going to be open at three in the morning, but she knew a place that would be. She was going to go to her favorite convenience store ever, A Salt and Pepper Mix! A poor attempt at a pun by the owner of the store, or so said the manager. It basically had everything a college kid needed to survive, even though a wealthy student like Elissa actually didn’t need it. _If_ she used her father’s money.

It was a point of contention between them. She didn’t stop her father helping her out with some of the pricier aspects of college, but as a whole, she wanted to be independent. Even if it meant she worked at a shitty coffee shop with an even shitter boss.

The convenience store also had a wonderful list of colorful characters that may or may not include convicted felons. Eliss wasn’t judging! She got along with them surprisingly well. People had come and left the store in her college years, but of the ones who remained the longest, Elissa knew them by heart.

Ettran, a Dalish elf that escaped his clan when he was younger. Bor, a dwarf who used to be Warrior Caste at one point (dwarves apparently still had castes still) but refused to talk about it. Mena, an older Qunari baker who was basically a grandmother at this point, and Alyssa, who was a fellow human college student. But Alyssa was actually studying to be _someone_ , unlike Elissa, who hadn’t even decided on her major. Alyssa wanted to be a doctor.

As she walked into the store, after parking her bicycle outside, she saw the plants were freshly watered. That could only mean one thing, in her humble opinion. It meant that Ettran was on duty, since he considered any flora within the store his responsibility. She waved and smiled at him, and he returned her greeting, quickly returning to his book. Elissa couldn’t really read Elven, but she knew it was old. The stained brownish color gave it away. It wasn’t like she could ask what it was about anyways, because he seemed really engrossed by whatever it was.

Whistling softly, she picked up a shopping basket and ventured off into head high shelves and aisles. She got lost in what she needed to buy and what she wanted to buy, which of course, never really matched. Could she blame the small flab of fat pouch on that delicious black cherry ice cream? Oh, definitely. Yet, she wanted it so bad, despite knowing she should really lay off of it. Along with cheap cuts of meat and bags of mixed vegetables, she opted for a low fat plain strawberry ice cream instead. That black cherry ice cream was taunting her thought. Thankfully, she was soon interrupted from her pathological suffering.

“Hey, Elissa!” Ettran called out from the front. “Do you know this person? They called after you when I told them you owned the bike outside.”

Raising an eyebrow, she appeared from deep within the aisles. She was pretty confused, because she was sure no one she knew besides Ettran would be calling after her at this time of night. They would have called her and she left her phone at her apartment. When she saw who it was, though, she dropped her basket right on her foot. She thanked her high pain tolerance that she only just winced. Not that it didn’t hurt. But it wasn’t like screaming off the top of her lungs would help.

 

"I, um.... Oh, geez. Fuck.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

 

Alistair was the king of Ferelden.

By all accounts, he was doing a fairly good job! The country wasn’t falling apart. Slowly, but surely, they _were_ recovering from the Fifth Blight. Things were changing for the better, and that was good. He couldn’t promise perfection, but he had done his best to initiate change. He wanted to give everyone a fair shake. He was still getting the hang of proper diplomacy but he hadn’t offended anyone yet, he thought. He was well-liked. He gotten used to having actual authority too, and not simply being a child everyone wanted to forget. In a way, it was still strange, even now. He wondered if it would never go away.

But, it wouldn’t be his life if _nothing_ went wrong. So, while his reign had been mostly good, dark spots appeared, like being compared to the man he never knew really knew, or his half-brother. The worst one was sitting on his throne, funnily enough. It hurt the most, because it used to his favorite spot actually. Maker, it seemed like that was so long ago. He felt like he still heard her laughter sometimes. More than once, he had been utterly _convinced_ she had called out to him. She would echo in the empty hall, and ring in his head. He even saw her too, in his mind’s eye. She was always smiling. She was beautiful when she smiled.

His eyes fell on her empty chair, and he was quiet.

Elissa had been a warrior, first and foremost. She had proved it when she escaped her burning castle. She proved it when she became one of the Grey Warden. She had proved it when she stopped the Fifth Blight. There had been _nothing_ that woman _wouldn’t_ face, especially when it was for the right thing. He had loved for it. She was a light, a _beacon_ \- everyone was drawn to her, and she would always guide them safely home in the dark. It only made perfect sense she would die in battle, defending what she loved most, if the Calling didn’t claim her first.

He had buried her with her family. He remembered how much she had loved them; she always kept the memory of her family alive with every story she would tell of them by the campfire. She would sometimes pass mountains, lakes, and forests and comment on how she was sure her father or her mother would have loved to see that. She remembered how her nephew had wanted to be a warrior, and did her best to inspire other children. Even at her darkest moments, she reminded herself what she was fighting for, and the love and courage her parents gave her. Denerim wanted her buried with his father. Alistair refused - he would not keep her from them.

Maybe he’d join them one day. He always wanted a family

However, Alistair still had a good few years left. In a really morbid sense, it was the funniest part, wasn’t it? He was given the chance to know the love of his life, only for her to be taken from him. Cursed to spend the rest of his years without her, remembering how much lighter his world seemed because she was in it. He really _was_ just one tragedy after another, wasn’t he? He would break, if he didn’t find it so funny at the same time. Maybe he broke already and he didn’t even realize. She would have wanted him to think it was hilarious, though, if it meant he could move forward.

His uncle, time and time again, _had_ suggested finding someone else. It would be for the good of Ferelden, and Alistair knew he owed an heir, but he just couldn’t do it. No matter what kind of woman they introduced him to, it always ended up the same story. They’d have pleasant chats, and potentially flirt a little, more joking on his end, and it wouldn’t be long before the conversation would die. He’d apologize for wasting her time, and she’d apologize right back (the good ones, anyways). He never had the heart for it, despite all the insistence. He loved Elissa too much, and there was no one who could replace her.

And Alistair just _couldn’t_ do it. He couldn’t let someone suffer the pain of trying to love a person, knowing very well that they were still in love with someone else.

Their rag-tag gang were still around. While Morrigan had left them, seemingly for forever, the rest of them had stayed behind in his life. Due to being king, along with them having their own lives, they couldn’t all just meet like they used to. When they did, it was a rare treat and always a good time.  Zevran was still working as an assassin, always offering his assistance. Wynne had returned to the Circle to help guide the rest of the mages, but she always made a note of sending him knitted socks. Oghren wrote him letters, and barrels of ale. Sten was doing well back with the Qunari, he heard. He was the new leader, and he seemed to be doing well for himself. Alistair was glad for him.

He spent most of his time with Leliana, who had returned to the Chantry. They would talk about Elissa, and she helped him as best she could. She always reminded him that Elissa died the way she wanted, doing what was right and protecting those who needed to be protected. And that if she could see them from the Maker’s side, Leiliana just knew she approved of how hard Alistair was working. “Take solace in that, if nothing else Alistair. That you did what she wanted. We are all doing what she would have wanted,” she spoke softly, smiling at him.

He was thankful to still have his friend looking out for them, even if they were so spread apart. And at least they could all agree on one thing, even if it was really the only thing they’d ever see eye-to-eye on.

They missed her.

Despite not being a mage, Elissa had always felt for those around her. She made it a habit to stand up for people whenever someone was in trouble - especially mages. They would visit the Circle together, and he kept up the visits, even if she wasn’t there. He oversaw certain projects, would sit with both Templars and mages alike, and _try_ to be an inspiring king. Wynne was smiling whenever she saw him. She scolded him if he hadn’t used her socks yet, since he had begged her so much for them back when they actively traveled. He promised he did wear them, but it was never enough. He still loved her anyways.

There had been an accident at the Circle one day. He was advised to investigate, since he had made such a habit of visiting them, and specifically because the mage in question had looked up to Alistair. He had always searched for him, and asked for stories of when Alistair was actively a Grey Warden. To think that he would have gotten in trouble worried Alistair. Maybe he was a bit plucky, but he was young. Young men were troublemakers, if Alistair was anything to go by, but the kid wanted to do good for his family. There had to be more on the surface.

He guessed he was right. Because after finding his room, things...changed. _Drastically_.

From the moment he stepped into the room, everything seemed to _melt_ away, which was maybe number seven on the most disturbing things he’d seen so far. Circle walls and floors gave way to a dark night, with the strangest lamppost he ever looked at. The ground was strange too. It _must_ have been made of stone, but the texture was too fine for stone, even crushed.  Hardened black tar ran next to the fine stone pathways, with a bunch of colored lines. The place was quiet, and on the horizon, he could see the silhouettes of buildings taller than anything in Denerim, all lit up.

Alistair had a sinking feeling he wasn’t in Ferelden anymore.

Maker, he needed to get some help. Surely he’d find someone to help him around here, wouldn’t he? He hoped so.

So, he had walked down the stone pathways, getting even more confused with everything he saw. It didn’t just look like a different place - it looked like a completely different _world_ , where buildings rose to the sky and they had… metal horseless carriages. A few had passed by him, in a few different colors, and it confused him to no end. He wondered if maybe they were powered by magic, but he wasn’t a mage. He wouldn’t really know either way. He hoped that one boy was okay, wherever he was. Facing such a complete unknown was unnerving even for a man like Alistair, who had seen the worst their world had to offer. But that kid was still young. He could get into even more trouble and not know it.

Eventually, he had found what he thought _might_ be a store. He could see colorful packages on white shelves and bright white flooring. Further back, he was certain he could see meats and vegetables, so perhaps this was a new type of indoor market? He accidentally bumped into a weird vehicle with two wheels, knocking it over. Cursing under his breath, he quickly propped it back up and hope he hadn’t broken it. He had no idea what it was, or how to fix it, and well…. Even if he had money on him, he wasn’t sure where to get a new one.

Somewhat startled by the magical sliding doors, he walked on through, and saw an elf boy at the counter. Even with dark circles under his eyes, he kept on reading a book. It was only when Alistair tried politely asking what was going on (as well as maybe what the thing outside was, _maybe_!) that he startled the young man. His book flipped out of his hand and onto the floor.

“Um, uh,” he stammered, glancing to the side. “Welcome to A Salt and Pepper Mix. And uh…… It’s uh, Elissa’s bike? Is that what you mean? Do  you wanna know the store where she bought it or something -.” Alistair cut him off.

 

“Wait. You know Elissa?”

 

The elf swallowed, looking at the floor. Anywhere but Alistair. “I mean, yeah? But like, I don’t know _you_ , dude, so can you just -.”

 

“Where is she? Please. I need to talk to her.” He begged the man behind the counter. Even if it was for a moment, a second, he wanted to see her. He had been so sure she was dead; he had tended to her body himself, and there was no way she was alive, but… Was there a possibility she lived on in this world? Is this where she had ended up?

 

 

 

 

Ettran just shrinked behind the counter, sliding on the floor. The man wasn’t paid enough to deal with unpacking people’s problems, and this might be the one where it was better to just throw out the whole suitcase. Coming back up, he called out for Elissa, hoping that she’d be able to kick his ass or something.

 

 

 

 

Eliisa showed up. She let her half-full basket fall on her foot, and only winced.

Alistair swallowed.

It was…. _Her_.

There was no mistaking it. The Elissa he knew was stronger, and scarred. She was muscular, and if she really wanted to, she could crush a man’s head between her thigh. The woman before him was softer, rounder. She was youthful, without all of the nicks and marks. But it _was_ her. The same bright sky-blue eyes and short wavy auburn hair that framed her defined jaw. She even broke her nose in the same place. He wondered what the story would be this time.

All these emotions he didn’t expect to feel came rushing up to the surface, constructing his chest with the weight of it all. His love for her had come flooding back, and he had been so surprised. It had been _such_ a long time since he had felt just how endless his love had truly been. He was happy beyond relief, of course, and he wanted to hold her close, afraid that in the next minute, she would disappear again. He took one step forward and she took a step backwards, moving the basket to the side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Elissa… don’t you recognize me?” He asked her, taking a deep breath, telling himself he wouldn’t cry.

 

“....I,” she swallowed, eyes darting before landing on his. “Listen, I don’t. I don’t _know_ you. I’m sorry but I don’t know you and the idea that you _might_ have followed me here at three in the morning is _fucked up_ ? You don’t do that to a person! Just because you _think_ you know me, that doesn’t give you the right to _just_ show up here!” With every word, she was embolden, taking steps forward to threateningly point a finger at him.

 

“What? No! No, I didn’t follow you, I was at the Circle -.” He tried explaining but she cut him off.

 

“ _At the Circle!_ ? Are you even hearing yourself, that’s _miles_ from here! Is that your idea of a shitty excuse?!” She yelled at him, stomping on his foot. He cried out, stumbling back on the floor. Damn her. That would teach him to underestimate her, no matter how soft she looked. She still knew how to pack a punch.

 

“Alright, you win,” he said, defeated.

 

She smirked. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, you jackass. So, what do you want with me?”

 

He took a deep breath. “I…. I just wanted to see you. To touch your face and to know you here again,” he said softly, keeping his eyes cast downwards. “I can’t it explain well, I don’t even know what’s happening but I…. I knew you. And you left. And I missed you.”

 

Elissa was caught off by the guy’s sincerity. Despite his really stupid excuse, she knew what the man was saying was true, or at least true to him. If he couldn’t explain it, she had no idea what the ever living fuck was going on. But, what she _did_ know is that this man was sad, burden by a life… without her, she guessed. He wasn’t lying, and she could read it on his face. Or maybe this guy was doing a better job of lying then her third high school boyfriend, who knew? But no…. It couldn’t be a lie.

Cautiously, she knelt down. “I won’t lie and say I’m not uncomfortable. I still don’t know you, no matter what you say. And I’m not above kicking your face in if I have to. But if you can’t explain what’s going on, then…. I just won’t be able to understand what’s going. So….” She shrugged. “What do you want?”

She didn’t know this man, and she _was_ uncomfortable. But when he looked up at her, he looked at her like he really did know her her entire life, and did in fact, lose her at some point. It was the same look her brother gave her when his wife gave birth and the doctors weren’t sure if they’d make it. He looked just as lost then, not knowing what to do or how he’d live his life after. Fergus was spared from that misery, thankfully. The man in front of her wasn’t. For as angry she still was, she did feel bad for him.

But she was just a college student failing her history class. She couldn’t do anything for this.

 

“I know I have no right to ask you, but…… If it’s alright with you, may I… touch your face?” He whispered, almost broken, and she nodded. Okay, that seemed…. Normal, considering everything. She moved a little closer, and he gingerly placed his hand on her cheek.

 

She barely felt it. It was _that_ gentle. It was almost like he was afraid she’d break, and he probably was. He smiled then, blinking away tears. He withdrew his hand, shaking his head.

 

“Maker, I’m so sorry.”

 

She said it without even thinking about it.

 

“Do you want a hug?” She asked, and he nodded.

 

They hugged. He held her within his arms, and her first thought was on how warm he felt. He wasn’t the biggest guy she’d hug, but in that moment, she felt a little small. Almost like she was being swallowed whole, but it wasn’t scary swallowed by a monster vore fetish type of scary. It was nice. She could almost really convince her that she did know him from somewhere, and that hell, maybe she even loved him like he was the only man in the world for her. It felt right to think those things for some reason.

The situation itself was pretty fucked up, but he didn’t seem fucked up himself. He was a guy who had a terrible thing happened, and well, Elissa wasn’t that great of an emotions person. She knew what to say and how to hug, but she could barely handle her own mental state, let alone someone else’s.The hug, thankfully, worked, and he seemed to feel a bit better.

After all that drama, which she had _enough_ for one night actually, she helped the man up.

He introduced himself as just Alistair, shaking her hand. She blinked a little at him before laughing, and apologizing. “Sorry, it’s just…. One of my favorite anime characters has your name! It’s just so cool, y’know?” She grinned, lying like her teeth. She actually only liked JRPGs and hadn’t watched an anime since like…. Naruto. If anything, her brother was the bigger fan. Shit. Guess she’d just have to ask him for help. _Again_.

 

“I’m going to take that as a good thing?” Alistair replied, grinning with a raised eyebrow.

 

It was probably nothing, really, and whatever issues Alistair had, it was pretty serious. She really didn’t need to be adding to it, but she just couldn’t shake off that feeling then. That for a moment, she remembered a little blond boy named Alistair from her middle school who always grinned, no matter what terrible things anyone said to him.

She blamed it on the demon hour, or something.

As a sort of weird peace offering, she decided she was going to buy some things for him. That was the polite thing to do, right? And it wasn’t like there was a flower shop open at three in the morning, so food was her best bet.

 

She picked up her basket. “Um, is there anything you’d….. Want to eat, here? I don’t have a lot of money so please don’t pick out too much but I can buy you a few things.” She asked and he nodded.

 

“Oh, thank you. I’ll make sure to be within your limit.”

 

Shopping with a guy she barely knew surprisingly didn’t feel as awkward or as creepy as she expected it to be. There was clearly a lot more going on with Alistair, since he didn’t know half of what he was seeing, which was super weird. But every time he got confused, she sighed and she explained what he was holding and how it tasted, if she ate it before. They’d make jokes on some of the packaging, as Alistair pointed out some of the things she never really noticed. It felt comfortable, despite being uncomfortable not that long ago.

This shit was definitely the demon hour. It had to be!

In the end, Alistair got himself a box of plain saltine crackers, two packages of cheese, and some beer. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised at all to hear that he was a big fan of cheese, and it was a bit hard to choose from all of them. She gave her recommendations, and he picked two. It was kind of funny, but the meal was definitely what the college frat boys would be eating right now. She paid for all of it, and Ettran whispered to her if she was going to be okay, since it all seemed to happen so quickly.

 

“I mean, my family has enough money to get a hitman, so….. I guess if things get to that, I’ll ask my dad?” She whispered back, shrugging.

 

“Cause that’s just how the Crows work?” He smirked and she nodded.

 

“Cause that’s just how the Crows work!” She giggled, and she waved him goodbye as Alistair followed, a little like a lost puppy.

 

Elissa put her bags in her bicycle basket, and basically instructed Alistair on how to ride saddleside on a bicycle. He seemed a little worried, since the thing wasn’t strong looking and he was also worried about falling over and she waved it off.

 

“I’ve done this dozen of times. The bike can handle it. And just…. Grab onto my waist if you feel like you’re going to fall off. But don’t…. Feel me up, okay?” She told him, and he nodded.

 

Between the joking and the shopping, Alistair had confessed he didn’t really have anywhere to go, and since she was having a good time, Elissa stupidly said he could stay at her apartment until they found a better solution. Now that he was awkwardly trying to get on the bike, she found herself regretting that decision very much. But she couldn’t back out now, and well, she had a pretty nice knife collection somewhere. So, there was always that. And her hound.

She wondered if Adarin would like Alistair.

 

 

 

 

Riding saddleside on a “bicycle” ended up being not as bad as he thought it would be,

There were a few bumps here and there, and turns that were a little rough, but as a whole, it was rather nice. The night seemed lighter now, as he saw small clusters of stars twinkle among the towering lights of the skyline in front of him.  They would ride under lamp posts, and he’d glance at the shadows they would cast. He had often though that his world had been a bit brighter because Elissa had been in it. She was a light, a beacon - and she would always guide him safely home.

Even if it wasn’t the same Elissa, he wondered if because in one form or another, she was back in his life, the world seemed bright again.

He closed his eyes, focusing on her breathing and the creaking of the wheels below him.

 

 

 

 

By the grace of the Maker, they get to her apartment alive and not bruised to shit. She opened the hallway door, stashing her bicycle in with gardening equipment and an old leather jacket. She took her groceries in her hands, giving Alistair his bag as they walked up the stairs to her door. Fishing for the keys, she unlocked it and immediately went to put all the food in the fridge. She made room for everything as Alistair knelt down, giving a few good pats to her mabari.

 

“Is his name Adarin?”  He grinned and she squinted at him as she closed and locked her door.

 

“Yes, and if you do that again, I’m going to wake him up and tell him to maul you.” She threatened and Alistair backed off.

 

He was going to sleep on the couch in her living room. She gave him an extra blanket, pillow, and a set of her brother’s old PJs. Basically, she told him that she’d leave him alone to change and that she hoped he slept well and off she went to her own room to close the door. Now that she was in her own apartment again, she felt she deserved some privacy to non-discreetly scream in her pillow about all the dumbass decisions she had made in under an hour.

 

Maker, she was so happy tomorrow was Saturday.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> summary + title taken from eng cover of vocaloid song 'close to you' by niki. eng lyrics are by KL. yes i do love making sad shit based off sad vocaloid songs who knew? chapter title referencing the first episode of inuyasha because yes i'm an anime sult who also knew that?? haha
> 
> if none of this makes sense, good because i love to bullshit for drama. things will be revealed.....eventually! haha sorry about that. hope u guys like the fic!!


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